As the climate crisis progresses, immediate action is required to avoid irreversible damage and address the socioeconomic disparities exacerbated by climate change, which significantly impact vulnerable communities around the world. This is why the European Journalism Centre continues to support climate journalism to shape public discourse, influence policy, and assist individuals in making informed decisions about their future.

Recognition of the efforts and dedication of journalists and reporters, like the Climate Journalism Award, are now essential as they elevate the status of trustworthy journalism over misinformation, ensuring the public receives credible, impactful stories that convey and encourage significant change and spur action. 

The Climate Journalism Award is more important than ever. The shortlisted projects showcase a diverse range of topics and innovative approaches to one of the most important issues of our time.

-Lars Boering - Director at EJC

The Award ceremony, where the winning projects will be announced, will be held on 10 October 2024 at the News Impact Summit in Copenhagen. 

Managed by the European Journalism Centre, in partnership with the Google News Initiative, this Climate Award highlights the essential role that journalism plays in combating climate change and promoting transparency.

Here are the 14 shortlisted entries, presented in no particular order and chosen by an external, independent jury.

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Data-driven visualisation

Temperatures typically drop as the sun sets, allowing for cooler nights. However, nighttime temperatures have recently risen, potentially having adverse implications: our bodies rely on cooler temperatures to regulate and promote restful, healthy sleep, and as nighttime temperatures rise, our bodies struggle to cool down properly, potentially disrupting sleep and affecting overall health.  This project tracks nighttime temperatures in six global cities, showing how heat disproportionately affects poorer neighborhoods, bringing to light the concept of climate inequality.

Hot nights - Christoph von Eichhorn - Süddeutsche Zeitung

Torrential rains caused by climate change are raising sea and river levels. According to recent research, at least 4.3% of Spanish homes are in danger of being flooded by rivers or the sea, a figure that is likely to rise. This investigative project identified flood risks and developed a powerful interactive tool that provides unprecedented access to detailed flood vulnerability data for every house and building in Spain. As a result, more than one million homes in Spain are in flood-prone areas. Victòria Oliveres’ investigation had a significant impact by raising awareness and providing critical information to the public.

Spain at flood risk: over a million homes stand at hazardous areas - Victòria Oliveres, Pau Rodríguez, Raúl Sánchez - Eldario.es

Gully erosion occurs when flowing water creates deep channels in soil, removing large amounts of topsoil and degrading land. This phenomenon represents one of the most aggressive forms of soil degradation and is advancing at an alarming rate, destroying cities and communities in countries like Brazil and in Africa, driven by deforestation and extreme weather patterns.  By using 3D animations, interactive maps, and graphics to vividly illustrate the scale and impact of gully erosion, this work  succeeds in conveying complex environmental data, enhancing understanding and emotional connection to this overlooked issue.

The vast ravines swallowing whole neighbourhoods around the world - Tamara Gil, Shin Suzuki, Stephanie Hegarty, Emery Makumeno - BBC Brasil / BBC World Service

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Fighting climate misinformation

Far-right parties in Italy, Spain, and the Czech Republic have adopted a specific narrative about climate change: they acknowledge its reality but portray it as unavoidable, arguing that little can be done to address it. This tactic is known as "discourses of delay" and is used to gain more votes.

This project investigates voting behaviours, policies, and public discourse to determine how this phenomenon manifests. Expert interviews and publication in reputable media outlets provide factual, evidence-based analysis to counter these subtle techniques for slowing down climate action by posing economic concerns that impede the green transition.

Clima, in Europa i populisti diventano più popolari (e viceversa). Negazionismo addio, ora lo slogan è “tutta colpa della Cina” - Michele Bertelli, María Elorza Sarilegui, Martin Vrba - FQ MillenniuM

We have all heard of "greenwashing": it's a deceptive practice in which institutions promote investments or initiatives as environmentally friendly or sustainable, but then fail to implement those policies and continue to support industries that contribute to the climate crisis. This in-depth article looks at financial institutions, including large asset managers like BlackRock and Vanguard, as well as major banks like JPMorgan Chase and HSBC, that continue to fund the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters despite their commitment to sustainability.

How big finance greenwashes climate crisis culprits - Stefano Valentino, Giorgio Michalopoulos - Voxeurop

This project, in the form of a video, investigates the relationship between income and greenhouse gas emissions, breaking down the data to demonstrate how wealthier people  contribute more to climate change.

Climat: les riches polluent plus que les pauvres? - Donald Walther, Rodolphe Meyer, Loïc Giaccone - Le Monde

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Pinpoint award for investigations

The primary goal of this project is to investigate how the World Bank's climate finance, which is intended to address the climate crisis, is being misdirected to luxury projects such as hotel redevelopments in Africa, ignoring vulnerable communities. The investigation combined on-site reporting in Senegal with satellite imagery analysis. Reporters ventured to a luxury resort funded by climate finance and discovered its contrast with the nearby, struggling fishing community. They also conducted the first detailed analysis of the World Bank's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)'s climate finance portfolio, revealing misallocated funds and systemic inequities.

World Bank climate funding greens African hotels while fishermen sink - Matteo Civillini, Jack Thompson - Climate Home News

Fritz Habekuss used the "follow the money" approach to investigate the flow and impact of climate damage payments in Malawi. He tracked fund usage using firsthand accounts from affected individuals, expert interviews, and detailed field visits, as well as highlighting non-economic losses such as psychological trauma and social impacts, to provide a comprehensive view.

This article examines the flow of climate compensation funds promised by rich countries, highlighting the complexities and challenges of delivering aid to Malawi's affected communities.The investigation demonstrates how difficult it is to deliver climate compensation. Bureaucratic delays, a lack of funding, and unclear procedures are preventing aid from reaching the most vulnerable communities effectively.

Viel versprochen, und dann? - Fritz Habekuss - Die Zeit

Is it possible for financial aid intended to fund environmentally beneficial projects to be diverted for purposes that have the opposite effect?

Michelin, in partnership with Indonesian company Barito Pacific, used green bonds marketed by BNP Paribas to fund rubber plantations in Indonesia. These bonds were promoted as environmentally friendly investments. However, the investigation conducted by Stefano Valentino for Voxeurop reveals that the project led to deforestation, raising concerns about greenwashing and the misuse of sustainable finance.

Greenwashing made in Europe by Michelin and BNP Paribas in Indonesia - Stefano Valentino, Emanuela Barbiroglio, Gian-Paolo Accardo - Voxeurop

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Storytelling & solutions

Tadeusz Michrowski investigates the decline of Poland's coastal fishing industry, looking into the underlying causes, ranging from EU policies to ecological shifts, and providing nuanced perspectives on potential solutions. By focussing on systemic issues and working directly with fishermen, scientists, and policymakers, the project demonstrates how short-sighted policies, environmental factors, and community dynamics are interconnected. The story won the first prize at the BIRN fellows in 2024.

Catch-22 on the Baltic: The twilight of Poland’s coastal fishermen - Tadeusz Michrowski - Balkan Insight

A documentary about the historic drought in Catalonia and its effects on key industries and natural ecosystems. The project takes a solution-oriented approach, demonstrating the benefits of a process such as desalination. Desalination provides a viable solution by removing salt and other impurities from seawater, ensuring a consistent water source regardless of rainfall or snowfall. It can be implemented fairly quickly because it already provides 58% of the metropolitan area's water. The advantages include ensuring a consistent water supply for cities, reducing reliance on natural water sources, and relieving pressure on overburdened rivers.

Especial sequera: Canvi de cicle - 3Cat CCMA SA

As Sweden pursues green technologies to fight climate change, more Sami land is being mined and used for infrastructure projects. This "green transition" is frequently implemented without proper consultation, putting the Sami in a difficult situation. They must choose between accepting the loss of their land and being labelled as climate change deniers. This situation is part of a long history of displacement and marginalisation, as modern industrial interests threaten Sami culture, reindeer herding, and their deep connection to the natural world.

This reportage creates an immersive narrative through emotionally compelling photos and vivid storytelling, combining descriptive imagery, personal interviews, and historical context. It delves into the tensions between technological solutions and indigenous Sami wisdom, making the abstract climate crisis tangible and emotionally impactful.

In the Swedish Arctic, a battle for the climate rages - Isobel Cockerell, Frankie Mills, Barclay Bram, Gemma Newby - Coda Story

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Emerging talent

Santander's sustainability policies prohibit financing projects that endanger Ramsar-protected wetlands, which are critical for biodiversity. The bank pledges not to support oil and gas extraction projects that may harm these areas, in line with broader environmental commitments to limit activities that contribute to ecological damage and climate change.

However, with a remarkable use of OSINT, Nimra Shahid uncovered that the American bank facilitated a billion-dollar bond for PetroPeru, funding an oil refinery linked to the Norperuano pipeline, which crosses a Ramsar-protected Amazon wetland.

Santander arranged billion-dollar oil bond after making green pledge - Nimra Shahid, Robert Soutar, Ekaterina Pirnak, Alexander Abdelilah - The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Do more protests lead to more change? It seems that way. 

This story follows the rise of European climate activism since 2019 and its impact on EU climate policies, examining the connection between protest and policy. According to the article by Gianluca Brambilla for Open, the protests and marches of young climate activists have contributed to significant change by bringing the climate issue to the centre of the European political agenda. The demonstrations, which began with Fridays for Future, pushed the European Union to approve the Green Deal, the most ambitious climate policy package ever created. However, activists warn that the results achieved are still insufficient and that the fight is far from over, with concerns over future European elections.

Cortei, sabotaggi, tribunali: così è cambiata la lotta dei giovani attivisti per il clima - Gianluca Brambilla - Open